Originally from Collective Bargaining: How it Works and Why - 3rd Edition

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IN THIS SECTION we introduce the two parties to labor-management negotiations and examine the diversity on each side of the table.

“Who’s Who?”

There are two sides at the table—employer/management and employee/union—yet it is often far more complex than simply one on one.

The Union Side

Unions or employee associations are multipurpose organizations. They fulfill individual employee needs in the social, political, pragmatic, philosophical and economic spheres.

Social: the need to belong to and be part of a group. The need to have shared experiences is a basic human need, and a union can afford the individual employee the opportunity to be a vital part of a functioning group. For example, unions and employee associations will often have their own social programs and rituals—the union membership meeting, the annual dinner, picnic, etc.

Economic: many employees join and support unions because they believe it is the most effective means of obtaining job security, wage increases and more extensive fringe benefits. Often they will view a union as a service organization and will closely judge its performance in order to decide whether the union and its leadership are worth continued support.